Entertainment
All 7 ‘Bridgerton’ Romances, Ranked By Chemistry
There is a lot to love about Bridgerton, from the fun gossip and scandal of the Ton, to the iconic orchestral song covers, to the memorable and complex characters. At the heart of Bridgerton, though, is the romance. The show has many excellent romances, both in its solid couples, and in its pairings that are still being built up. Each season centers on one of the Bridgerton siblings’ romances, like in the Julia Quinn series on which the show is based.
Bridgerton still has four love stories to tell: those of Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) and Philip Crane (Chris Fulton), Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) and Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza), Gregory Bridgerton and Lucy Abernathy, and Hyacinth Bridgerton and Gareth St. Clair. In its four seasons so far, and in its spin-off series, Queen Charlotte, Bridgerton has told the love story of seven main couples. This is every one of those couples ranked by chemistry.
7
Francesca and John
Like in the Bridgerton books, in the show, Francesca’s first marriage is to John Stirling (Victor Alli), until his sudden death of an aneurysm. Her season will follow her love story with John’s cousin, Michaela, with whom Francesca has always had a spark. Francesca and John have never really had a strong passion or chemistry, like it has already been teased that Francesca will have with Michaela. This was why Violet (Ruth Gemmell) was initially hesitant about their marriage, and this was also something Francesca was worried about in Season 4, Part 1.
John’s death was tragic on its own, but it was especially heartbreaking to see Francesca lose the person she called her “truest friend.” John understood her and really took the time to get to know her in a way that Francesca had previously not gotten from her family, and their marriage was a beautiful example of a deep love that was not passionate, but that was still incredibly meaningful to both of them.
6
Violet and Marcus
Although many of the Bridgertons have had multiple loves throughout the series before finding their person, they each ultimately have one great love. Throughout the series, it has always been made clear that Violet’s great love was Edmund Bridgerton. His death absolutely broke her, and it took her a very long time to get to the place where she could make a romantic connection with someone else again: Lady Danbury’s (Adjoa Andoh) brother, Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis).
Violet and Marcus definitely have strong chemistry, and the natural spark between them was present throughout Season 4 of Bridgerton. They both genuinely enjoy each other’s company, and there is a clear connection in all their scenes together. Although Marcus loves Violet, her heart is not all the way there yet, which is why she ultimately ends her engagement to him (at least for now) to focus on herself at the end of Season 4.
5
Penelope and Colin
Penelope Featherington Bridgerton (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) are one of the rare Bridgerton slow-burns. She pined after him for many years before he ever saw her in a romantic light, and their relationship was built on the foundation of a strong friendship. Penelope and Colin had an excellent build-up, as he broke her heart before they ever got together, and only realized his feelings for her when he believed it was too late.
Despite a strong build-up, Penelope and Colin’s love story didn’t quite stick the landing in the way that the other Bridgerton season’s romances have. They got together a little too early on in the season, with her position as Lady Whistledown serving as their main obstacle for the rest. Penelope and Colin have great chemistry and obvious passion for one another, but it wasn’t utilized quite as well as it could have been.
4
Daphne and Simon
The romance between Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dyvenor) and Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page) in Season 1 of Bridgerton is the one that started it all, and a rewatch of their season will always make it obvious why the show turned out to be such a hit. The two have electric chemistry, which made their fake courtship especially convincing to everyone around them, and which only grew as they became genuine friends.
Like with Penelope and Colin, the thing hurting Daphne and Simon the most is how their relationship was handled after they got together. Their conflict at the end of the season was particularly hard to watch, and they never got much screentime after that as a happy couple. Still, though, Daphne and Simon have some of the most passionate moments and lines in the series, like the iconic “I burn for you.”
3
Sophie and Benedict
Benedict (Luke Thompson) and Sophie’s (Yerin Ha) love story has everything: a Cinderella element, a seemingly impossible obstacle to overcome, and quite a bit of yearning. Benedict and Sophie’s chemistry was instant from the moment they met, so much so that their scene outside at the ball was absolutely swoonworthy, even though they didn’t know each other yet. Even better, though, was all the pining that happened between the two of them after they met for the second time.
Every moment between Benedict and Sophie during their season felt charged, as it was always clear how badly the two wanted to be together, even during the moments where they were unable to go to each other. The passion between Benedict and Sophie is the basis for their whole love story, so that even when it seemed like there would never be a way for them to truly be together, it was impossible not to hope that they could somehow turn things around in the end.
2
Charlotte and George
By the start of Bridgerton, King George (James Fleet) has become severely ill, and he’s been struggling with memory loss. As such, Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) has been ruling on her own in his place. Queen Charlotte tells Charlotte (India Amarteifio) and George’s (Corey Mylchreest) story, and it’s a beautiful and tragic one. They met just before their arranged wedding, and there were instant sparks between the two of them, which made Charlotte feel much better about the marriage. Their main obstacle was the inhumane series of psychiatric “treatments” being forced on George, but still, they made it through everything together.
Charlotte and George have an easy chemistry that shines through all of their interactions, not just in the past, but in the present day as well. It started out as a genuine affection for one another and an easy banter between the two of them, and it soon grew into a deep and devoted love that has remained all these decades later. They also have the best love confession in the Bridgerton universe, in which Charlotte tells George that she will stand with him between the heavens and the Earth, and he in turn tells her that his heart calls her name.
1
Kate and Anthony
There is no better example of an epic Bridgerton romance than the captivating and electric connection between Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate Sharma Bridgerton (Simone Ashley). Sparks flew between the two of them right away, even as this initially manifested as a strong dislike. Passion always oozed from every one of Anthony and Kate’s scenes together, made even more intense by the fact that they couldn’t be together until the very end of their season.
Anthony’s engagement to Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran) may have been frustrating to watch, but it was the perfect obstacle for Anthony and Kate. Anthony tried very hard not to let himself love someone completely, while Kate broke her own heart in order to keep putting Edwina first. In spite of everything working against them, Anthony and Kate’s love was able to conquer all of their obstacles, and they’re now a happy and extremely loving married couple with a baby.
Bridgerton
- Release Date
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December 22, 2020
- Network
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Netflix
- Directors
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Tom Verica, Tricia Brock, Alex Pillai, Alrick Riley, Bille Woodruff, Cheryl Dunye, Sheree Folkson, Julie Anne Robinson
- Writers
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Abby McDonald, Sarah L. Thompson, Daniel Robinson, Oliver Goldstick, Leila Cohan-Miccio, Azia Squire, Sarah Dollard, Eli Wilson Pelton, Janet Lin
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Luke Thompson
Lady Violet Bridgerton
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Ruth Gemmell
Benedict Bridgerton
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